Organic farmers in many developing countries – such as Turkey, the apparent origin of this outbreak – still use raw human sewage to fertilize crops! In many people’s opinion, that practice qualifies as “organic” – whereas using safe modern fertilizers and insecticides does not! Even worse, feces contamination cannot be washed off. It’s embedded in the plant.

How safe are organic foods, especially when compared to conventionally grown varieties? Not as safe as many assume. A recall has just been announced for certified organic berries sold at Costco. According to the Centers for Disease Control, at least 106 people in eight states have contracted hepatitis A, a debilitating disease that can last for weeks or months, and even be deadly, after eating Townsend Farms frozen berries bought at the box store retailer.

http://www.cfact.org/radio/250/4984.mp3
You might take your coffee with cream and sugar, but how about barley husks and mushroom roots? Probably not the latter, but according to the group PERC, common white Styrofoam coffee cups, along with a whole host of other Styrofoam packaging, may one day be replaced by this organic mixture grown by a start-up company in New York.

By CFACT|2012-11-29T17:33:24+00:00October 25th, 2012|Just the Facts Radio|Comments Off on Organic Styrofoam from barley husks and mushroom roots?

by Einar Du Rietz Yesterday, I watched that widely acclaimed movie by Nora Ephron about Julia Childs and her later follower. Marvelous. And somehow, all about butter. I seldom use butter, as I prefere olive oil, but for certain dishes it's the best option. All sorts of fish, for example. How interesting then that there is a current butter crisis in the stores. The cows to blame? Some people have actually suggested that. But then there is this peculiar thing called the Butter Mountain in the EU. Simply put, a surplus (according to the politicians), calling for regulations within the CAP system, [...]

An outbreak of E-coli contamination in organic cucumbers has sickened 1,200 people and killed 14. Scores of victims have lost all kidney function as a result of the infection with many forced to use dialysis. Green campaigners routinely attack fruits and vegetables grown and protected using efficient modern methods. No evidence exists that "organic" foods offer any nutritional benefits over foods produced by modern farming. There were certainly no health benefits for the victims of this tragic outbreak. To learn more about The Truth About Organic Foods, CFACT recommends Alex Avery's book by that title. CFACT Europe produced a translation of [...]

I can’t help but praise Michael Specter’s new book: Denialism: How Irrational Thinking Hinders Scientific Progress, Harms the Planet, and Threatens Our Lives. Specter warns that we live in a world where the leaders of African nations prefer to let their citizens starve to death rather than import genetically-modified food grains. Childhood vaccines have proven to be the most effective public health measure in history, yet people march on Washington to protest their use. Fifty years ago pharmaceutical companies were regarded as vital supports for our good health and lengthening life spans; now they are seen as callous corporate enemies of health and the environment.

Are organic foods healthier and better for the environment? While many may believe so, such is not the contention of a provocative new book called The Truth About Organic Foods by Alex Avery of the Center for Global Food Issues.
http://www.cfact.org/radio/volume195/3893.mp3

The great Norman Borlaug Died September 12, 2009 By PAUL DRIESSEN (Washington) Norman Borlaug just turned 94 – and is still going strong During the “Eat This” segment of their docu-comedy series BS, Penn Jillette beat Teller in a round of their “Greatest Person in History” card game. Penn needed just one card: Norman Borlaug. This Iowa farm boy and University of Minnesota agriculture graduate lived Thomas Edison’s maxim to the fullest. “Invention,” Edison once remarked, “is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” Dr. Borlaug did most of his 99% in the sweltering fields of Africa, India, Mexico and Pakistan. [...]

By CFACT EU|2012-09-19T22:54:36+00:00April 7th, 2008|CFACT Europe|Comments Off on Still Feeding the World

CFACT is proud to offer its German translation of Alex A. Avery’s The Truth About Organic Foods Two years ago, the the most talked about book on organic foods in over a decade was issued in English – now, with the support of CFACT Europe, it is available to the 100 Million or so German speaking consumers: Alex Avery’s The Truth About Organic Foods. […]

While taste and quality may spur some consumers to purchase organic fruits and vegetables, it appears their benefits to the natural world are clearly less appealing.
http://www.cfact.org/radio/179/3570.mp3